Courting Gossip. Kimberly Dean

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СКАЧАТЬ even let out a curse, yet the chill that came across the line was so frigid, she nearly dropped the phone.

      ‘Brody?’

      ‘Who was it? Which channel?’

      ‘Channel? What does that matter?’

      ‘It matters. Who are they?’

      ‘You think I took time to ask? I don’t know — Wait. They said it, but I didn’t recognise it. MTI? TMI?’

      ‘Don’t say a word to anyone until I get there. Do not come out of that bathroom. Don’t let them catch you on camera any more than they have.’

      ‘I’m not stupid but, Brody, you’ve got to get here fast. They…they know what I do for a living.’

      The chill in the fixer’s voice nearly left frost. ‘Don’t let anyone touch you. I’m coming.’

      The line went dead without so much as a goodbye, but for some reason Genieve’s breaths came a bit easier. Her stomach was still knotted, and she knew this was going to be a really bad night. Brody was stoic and cold as Siberia, but he was solid. She just had to hold on until he could get here.

      Yet, before she could even make a call to Luxxor, someone was knocking on the bathroom door.

      ‘Ma’am, this is hotel security. All you all right? Can you come out of the bathroom?’

      After what she’d just promised the ice man? ‘No.’

      ‘We need to talk to you so we can figure this whole thing out.’

      ‘So talk.’ She held fast, refusing to budge.

      Things only went from bad to worse when Metro PD arrived on the scene. That was when she started considering the smoke detector on the ceiling as a viable distraction. If she set it off, could she slip out of the hotel with the rest of the crowd without anyone noticing?

      Her toes curled into the bath rug. Despite what the reporters kept saying, she wasn’t a whore. She was an escort, albeit one with an exclusive client…who paid her for sex…She doubted the police would care to split hairs, but she’d never been picked up before. She’d never even come close. She couldn’t be arrested for prostitution. She couldn’t bring down Luxxor. She was with a US senator!

      ‘Ma’am, you need to come out of the bathroom.’

      There was the sound of a key in the lock. She stepped back and bumped up against the shower as a policeman stepped inside. He was a young cop, handsome and wary. His jaw dropped a notch when he saw her. She rubbed her bare feet together. Sometimes the attention she got for her looks was fun, but other times it was a problem.

      ‘Ma’am, are you OK? Are you hurt?’

      ‘I’m scared.’ It was the truth. She was scared to death that the truth would come out.

      His demeanour changed on a dime. ‘Everything’s OK. You’re safe now.’

      He held out his hand. ‘Could you join us?’

      She pulled the belt of her robe tighter around her waist. ‘Are they gone? Did you take their camera?’

      ‘They’re in the other room. I promise you, you won’t have to deal with them.’

      Genieve thought fast. It wouldn’t be good to get on the police’s wrong side. Brody had told her not to leave the bathroom, but she was left to her own devices now. She needed to play this right. Tilting her head, she gave the young officer a helpless, fearful look. ‘Thank you for coming to our rescue.’

      Our rescue. Hers and Samuel’s. They were together, a couple. At least on paper…

      Reluctantly, she stepped into the bathroom doorway. There were still loud voices and way too many people in the room where, only a few moments ago, she and the senator had been getting down to an entirely different kind of busy. She pushed a shaky hand through her hair. When she saw another cop’s head snap around, she took her time combing her fingers through the strands.

      Instinctively, she fell back on the training that Luxxor had given her. Say as little as possible, stay out of the limelight and wait for the company lawyer to show up. She didn’t need to tell the police her name, but she wasn’t to fight their requests.

      ‘Genieve, darling. Are you OK?’

      She fought not to roll her eyes. So much for not identifying herself. She took one look at Samuel and knew she had to go into protective mode for him, too. Brody wouldn’t want shots getting out of the senator wearing nothing but a bed sheet. She grabbed another robe off the shelf and handed it to him. ‘I called your lawyer,’ she said, looking at him steadily. ‘He should be here soon.’

      ‘My law— Oh, yes. Good. He’s needed.’

      Samuel knotted the belt of the robe around his waist. His cheeks were flushed and his famous, perfect silver hair was mussed. It was hard to tell if that had come from her hands or the altercation.

      Genieve’s cheeks warmed. There wasn’t much about sex that made her shy any more, but the situation here was downright mortifying. The bed where they’d lain was rumpled, clothes were strewn about the room and, worst of all, she still felt that ache of need deep down in her core.

      She’d been close. With the fantasy she’d had going, really close.

      Her skin crawled when she caught a glance of the two men who’d broken in through the open door to the front room, and she hurriedly stepped out of their line of sight. She had to keep as little attention on herself as she could, although that was easier said than done. She tiptoed her way through the mess of clothes and bedding and settled onto a hard stuffed chair in the corner of the room. The large robe gaped open when she crossed her legs, but she let it. She needed to have everyone on her side right now, however she could get them.

      ‘Are you OK, ma’am? Can I get you anything?’ the officer asked.

      A magic carpet ride out of here?

      ‘Could you bring me a glass of water?’ she asked, her voice throaty.

      She ended up with three of them. Every cop and hotel associate in earshot moved to get her a cup. She smiled gratefully as she evaluated the scene. The young cop seemed to be the one trying to wrangle everything. He had a notepad out and was writing everything down.

      ‘Ma’am, I’m Officer Simons. Would you mind answering a few questions?’

      ‘She’s not a ma’am, she’s a call girl,’ someone in the next room called.

      Genieve winced.

      ‘What are they still doing here?’ Samuel bellowed. ‘Why haven’t those two been arrested yet? Do you know who I am?’

      Genieve rubbed her temple. Where was Brody?

      ‘They just barged in,’ she told the policeman. ‘I was so scared. I thought they were going to hurt us. I started screaming. Thank goodness someone heard.’

      She let tears well up in her eyes and let out a sniffle. СКАЧАТЬ